Eddie Howe’s two ‘unsung heroes’ at Newcastle United you probably didn’t expect

The definition of an unsung hero: “one who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition for them”. It’s no exaggeration to say Newcastle United have plenty of those, but it’s two players in particular who stick out for head coach Eddie Howe.

Geordie duo Mark Gillespie and Paul Dummett haven’t played a single minute of Premier League football this season, namely because Gillespie was left out of the 25-man squad and Dummett is dealing with a calf problem.

But, as explained by Howe, both are huge characters behind the scenes. Indeed, the pair are boyhood Newcastle fans. Gillespie was released by United as a kid before returning in 2020. Dummett, meanwhile, has enjoyed a successful career on Tyneside, making over 200 appearances.

Totally random, but when asked by NewcastleWorld who Howe’s unsung heroes, Howe said: “I think whenever you see a squad, the manager will always say there are unsung heroes, ones that maybe don’t get the acclaim and praise maybe nationally, media-wise, even among our supporters but when you see the value of them behind the scenes... I think we’ve got a number of those.

“I think of Mark Gillespie, Paul Dummett - local lads who have come through and know how much the club means to them but also how much they mean to us. They’re just incredible guys who love their football club and we’re lucky to have them here. I’m picking two but I could probably pick more. They are just the two that immediately spring to mind.”

It’s evident that Newcastle’s success on the pitch goes beyond just the starting XI. Howe has consistently spoken about the team spirit, and even those who aren’t playing on a consistent basis are contributing to that.

Howe’s squad will get some further quality time together next week when United return to Saudi Arabia for a warm-weather training camp ahead of the Premier League restart.

United’s previous trip to the Middle East in January was a huge success after going to secure their top-flight status.